Grading literary essays involves judgment, and judgment is vulnerable to bias. Teachers may be influenced by a student's previous performance, handwriting, writing style, or agreement with their own interpretation of a novel like Cassiopée: L'Été polonais. These influences are rarely intentional, but they can affect scores in ways that are hard to detect. Recognizing the risk is the first step toward reducing it.

One common issue is the halo effect, where a strong first paragraph colors the reader's view of the entire essay. Another is order bias, where papers graded late in a session are scored differently because of fatigue or contrast with earlier work. Knowing these patterns helps teachers design practices that counter them. Simple procedural changes can make a meaningful difference.

Anonymous grading is a useful starting point. Have students submit essays with an ID number rather than a name, or use a system that hides names until grading is complete. This reduces the influence of prior impressions. Even when you recognize a writer's style, the effort to focus on the work itself helps.

Structural Practices That Reduce Bias

Grading one criterion at a time across all essays, rather than scoring each essay fully before moving on, reduces the halo effect. You compare all thesis statements together, then all uses of evidence, and so on. This keeps your standard consistent within each criterion. It also makes it easier to notice when your scoring drifts.

• Grade anonymously by using ID numbers instead of names
• Score one rubric criterion at a time across all essays
• Shuffle the order of essays between grading sessions
• Re-score a few early papers at the end to check consistency
• Use descriptive rubric language rather than general impressions

Checking Your Own Patterns

Periodically review your scores for patterns. Do essays that agree with your interpretation tend to score higher? Do polished writers receive higher analysis scores than their ideas warrant? A quick scan of your own data can reveal tendencies you were not aware of. Awareness allows correction.

Re-scoring a handful of essays after a break is another useful check. If your scores change significantly, your criteria may be unclear or fatigue may have influenced the original marks. Adjusting for this improves reliability. It also builds the habit of questioning your own judgment.

The Role of AI in Consistency

AI grading tools do not tire, and they apply the same rubric language to every essay. This can help counter some forms of human inconsistency, such as late-session fatigue. However, AI has its own limitations and potential biases, so teachers should review its output rather than accept it blindly. Used as a second reader, the tool can highlight discrepancies between its evaluation and yours.

When the tool and the teacher disagree, treat it as an invitation to reexamine the essay. Sometimes the tool misses an original insight, and sometimes the teacher missed a flaw. Either way, the comparison encourages careful reading. The goal is a final score that reflects the work as accurately as possible.

Making Fairness Visible to Students

Explain your grading procedures to students. Letting them know that essays are scored by criterion, anonymously, and with a clear rubric builds trust. Offer a process for requesting a second look if they believe an error occurred. Transparency shows that fairness is a priority rather than an assumption.

Fairer grading benefits every student, especially those who might otherwise be disadvantaged by unconscious bias. Over time, it strengthens the integrity of your assessments. A novel study like Cassiopée is an ideal opportunity to model careful, thoughtful evaluation.